Saturday, 12 December 2015

University | Tips To Cope With A Big Work Load

Hi blog friends!!When I started third year, I kind of had the mentality that 'it can't be that much harder than second year surely'...well let me tell you, third year is bloody hard. Okay that might seem obvious but seriously it's like hard but times a billion (okay Katy bit ott) but you get the gist!From the get go my work load was through the roof and it just kept getting bigger and bigger, even when I felt like I was doing LOADS of work. Most of this work is coming from my dissertation, as I have to do SO much research, reading, watching films, writing up notes, analysing, the list goes on.Don't get me wrong I LOVE my dissertation topic and everything but it is just inexplicable amounts of work.So I have devised 5 tips to help anyone else who feels like they are struggling with/drowning in work. I really hope these are helpful!

1. Write up a schedule and stick to it!

Sticking to a schedule will make doing your work so much easier! On a Sunday sit down and work out what work you will do on each day and for how long, honestly you won't regret taking 15 minutes to just get a nice straight forward schedule to work through. I use a weekly planner from Paperchase like this one. Seriously I can't stress enough how quickly my stress and anxiety levels went down after starting to plan my work load.

2. Take days off!

Now, to anyone with LOADS of work taking a day off sounds like a big no no but my gosh this is the best thing you can do. Even if it is just one day out of the week you won't regret it. Just take a day to chill out, do some online shopping, pig out on loads of food, watch some films and most certainly do not think about your work. Everyone needs down time and at least one day off a week so don't feel guilty, it will make you feel more refreshed and ready to start work again the next day.

3. Do your work in manageable, bite size chunks!

Don't try and do LOADS of work all in one day, do nice easy chunks of work so you don't feel like you're doing too much and overloading yourself. When you do too much that is when you will start to feel a weight on your shoulders (that is the worst feeling, believe me you don't want to feel like that!). Bite size chunks will make your life so much easier and will take away some of that horrible stress and anxiety.

4. Don't forget to eat, and drink loads of water!

When you're in the zone I know the last thing you will think about is going to grab some food or topping up your glass of water, but you will always be more focused and alert if you are hydrated and have a tummy full of food. If I'm being honest I don't always heed my own advice, I rarely eat when I'm working or 'in the zone' but I always have a water bottle next to me when I'm working! Seriously food and drink will be your friend!

5. Try your best and you will always succeed!

Finally, just try your hardest and honestly you will succeed in everything you try! Put your all in and you will reap the rewards. Hard work always pays off!!I hope these tips are helpful for at least one person! Seriously I know exactly what it feels like to be drowning in work but if you make it easier for yourself you will honestly thank yourself. I hope that if you do have a big work load you get through it with as little stress as possible. Sending good vibes!Lots of loveKaty xxx